Zack looked embarrassed. "It was those so-called friends of mine who ate everything. I only had two sodas, and now my stomach's completely empty. "They tricked me. They ordered all the most expensive stuff, and I didn't have enough money to pay. I... Anyway, I'm never treating them to a meal again.""And you still don't realize how foolish you were by counting their money after they sold you out," Angela said sternly.The three of them went to an Eastern cuisine restaurant, and all the dishes they ordered were Zack's favorites. As soon as the food arrived, he dug in with enthusiasm.His carefree, oblivious demeanor was frustrating to watch."By the way, I need to discuss something with you," Angela said. "I want to join the family business, and I need your help.""What kind of help?" Zack asked, his mouth full of seafood. "But if it's work-related, don't bother. I have no say with Dad. He doesn't think much of me."Angela lowered her head, thinking for a moment, then smiled sly
The visitor was none other than Angela's cold and unfeeling father, Bill.That morning, as soon as Bill stepped out of his house, a crowd of reporters bombarded him. They relentlessly pelted him with questions for nearly half an hour, giving him an extreme headache.Thinking he could escape the chaos by heading to the company, he arrived only to find another group of people waiting for him at the entrance.To make matters worse, every employee in the company had already received a video of him and Judy holding a funeral for Angela—all while she was still alive. Now, everyone knew he had hurriedly organized a funeral for his daughter when she was perfectly fine.Before long, Graham Group's stock price had plummeted to an all-time low.Bill had never faced such a crisis.His first thought was that Angela was deliberately seeking revenge.Angela spoke calmly, "And why would I do that? If I wanted to cause trouble, why didn't I release this right when it happened?"But Bill, st
A bold thought flashed through Bill's mind. It would be perfect If he could secure this contract.It would help dispel the rumors about his rift with Angela and bring enormous benefits to the company."Hello, Mr. Jameson. Good afternoon. Oh, you want me to visit tomorrow for an on-site evaluation, right? Let me think about it."Angela answered the phone, but before she could say anything more, Bill snatched the phone from her and hung up."What are you doing?" Angela snapped. "Give it back! I've been trying to get an appointment with Mr. Jameson for ages. I'm really interested in working with him!"Seeing her flustered expression, Bill was convinced she wasn't faking it. The idea he had grew stronger."Look," he said. "Since you're looking for a partner, why not just choose Graham Group? Why bother with outsiders? What's wrong with you?""No," Angela replied immediately, without hesitation. Mr. Jameson is the best fit. I can't choose you. People would think I'm using my position
Angela was in an excellent mood today. Even the breeze on her way to the office felt refreshing. However, upon arriving at the company, she noticed something was off. People looked at her with a mix of sympathy and strange expressions."What's going on?" Angela called Clara over.Clara appeared a bit uncomfortable, hesitating for some time before saying, "Ms. Graham, rumors are going around that you were kidnapped in Montivale by some thugs for days, and... And those men... You know..."Angela's mind went blank for a moment, the ringing in her ears growing louder. Who would be vile enough to spread such disgusting rumors? Didn't they have any shame for creating such trouble for her?"Go back to your work," Angela said coldly. "No, come with me to the PR department."The two of them made their way to the PR department head's office. As they reached the door, they could hear voices from inside."How should we handle this? Ms. Graham is one of our company's rising stars. She hel
Fiona raised an eyebrow and shot Callum a disdainful look."I've already had someone handle this. It won't be necessary...""No need," Fiona interrupted, walking over to Angela. "My daughter-in-law is involved in a public scandal, and as her mother-in-law, of course, I need to step in. You can leave this to me."With that, she pulled Angela away."Hey, what are you doing? He's my boss!" Angela tried to pull her hand back, turning to give Callum an apologetic smile.But Fiona's grip was unyielding, and no matter how much Angela struggled, she couldn't break free.She was forcibly dragged out and shoved into a car."Where are we going?" Angela was utterly confused."To have some fun." Fiona took a deep breath. "Just treat it as keeping me company. I haven't been out for a stroll in three years, six months, and twelve days."Angela was at a loss for words.Damn, she suddenly felt an unexpected twinge of sympathy for this miserable woman.After spending most of the day out, they
The room was empty except for Zion, who was engrossed in a video game on the large screen."You're here. Take a seat. My friends left earlier. They had something to do," Zion said without looking up, his focus completely on the game.Nora sneered at his carefree behavior. "All you ever do is play games. Don't you think it's time you got a job? You can't rely on others forever, can you?"To Nora, Zion was nothing more than a lapdog who made money for her to spend. Now that he couldn't even do that, he was of no use to her.But he was handsome. He was a true pretty boy and was easy on the eyes."Alright, I get it," Zion said, setting the controller down and turning off the game.He walked over and sat before Nora, wrapping his arms around her.Nora frowned, feeling irritated. "You stink, so don't touch me.""Come on, we haven't been close in days. Let me kiss you," Zion said, taking advantage of the moment. He pulled her into an embrace, his lips moving closer to hers. "I gave
Nora was caught off guard. She collapsed to the floor, her head slamming into the ground, and blood began oozing out.Zion was beyond furious. He was enraged not only at her betrayal but also at himself for failing to see her true nature sooner.Angela had told him to bring Nora out, saying they were going to watch a good show. At first, he dismissed it as one of Angela's schemes, but he never imagined it..."Stephen, Stephen, listen to me, I swear, I was just using him. From the beginning, the only person I've ever loved is you!" Nora, no longer concerned with defending herself, hurried after Stephen as he turned to leave."We have nothing to do with each other anymore," Stephen said coldly, his gaze full of disgust as he looked down at her.He left the private room, his heart heavy with disgust, and saw Angela and Dexter standing nearby."Are you satisfied after watching me make a fool of myself?" Stephen shot a cold glance at Angela, preparing to walk away."Mr. Turner, how c
"He'll definitely come to show how much he values this cooperation," Angela said, touching up her lipstick before stepping out of the car.They arrived at 6:50 pm, just ten minutes before the scheduled time, but the private room was already full, with 11 people seated. Bill was among them, and he'd even brought Zack—clearly showing how much he cared about this cooperation."Angie, you're finally here! We've been waiting for a while. What would you like to eat?" Zack greeted her as soon as he saw her."Zack, quickly show them to their seats," Bill spoke up.Angela greeted the people from Graham Group and then noticed Nora sitting among them. Her lips twitched slightly. Did Bill still not realize what kind of person his newly hired head of the design department was?"Ms. Graham, long time no see. I heard you were kidnapped by some criminals overseas. How are you? I hope you weren't hurt?" Nora stood up with a smile that was anything but warm.Her words were veiled in concern,
Felix was frustrated.Once Angela stepped out of the living room, she found Cecilia waiting for her in the courtyard. Angela barely had any interactions with her. Despite Cecilia's cheerful demeanor, she was actually just as scheming as Ursula. This made it hard for Angela to feel any fondness toward her. "Cecilia, is there something you need?" Angela asked with a smile as she approached. Cecilia casually grabbed Angela's arm and led her for a walk around the courtyard. "Angela, our school is celebrating its homecoming event next week, and many famous alumni will be attending. Could you come too? Think of it as a chance to make some new friends."Angela was momentarily stunned. Cecilia was currently at high school. If Angela remembered correctly, her school was Westbridge High School. The school had a long history of producing talented individuals, including exceptionally gifted graduates like Dexter and Mateo. "It wouldn't be very appropriate for me to attend, would it
Angela was stunned and looked at Dexter in astonishment. Then, she instinctively glanced at Joseph, who was seated at the head of the table.Joseph frowned, looking helpless. "Dexter, what do you mean by that?" Ursula asked with a displeased expression, staring at him intently. Her gaze carried a hint of provocation. Joseph exclaimed impatiently, "Enough! Ursula, all of you should head back for now."Ursula frowned, wanting to say something but ultimately holding back."Grandpa, Grandma, we'll be leaving first then." Mateo picked up his tablet and stood up, his expression calm and gentle.Angela gazed over at him. Among Mateo, Trevor, and Dexter, Mateo appeared the gentlest. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and a white suit, radiating a unique warmth and elegance that suggested sophistication even without him needing to speak. He was strong-willed and never compromised on the path his parents had arranged for him. If it weren't for Dexter being naturally gifted in business leader
Angela smiled faintly. "What are you doing this for? You're Dexter's uncle. As long as he's around, you'll never face any difficulties. "Wouldn't it be better to just enjoy a carefree life of luxury? Why insist on making a mess of the company and ruining whatever goodwill others still have for you?"Felix suddenly froze as a sudden realization struck him. "Are you saying... this was all that brat Dexter's idea?"Angela spread her hands casually. "I never said that. Don't make things up."Felix glared at her and turned to leave. He directly went to find Dexter. He even went straight to Bamford Manor to inform Natalie and Joseph about Angela's actions and complain about her.Before the workday ended, Angela received a call from Natalie asking her to return. She was reluctant to go back, knowing she would likely be scolded. Yet, now that the issue was exposed, backing down without a fight was simply not her way.Upon arriving at Bamford Manor, she noticed that everyone, including M
"But you still continue to hire your distant relatives for important positions. If something goes wrong, who will be responsible for it?" Angela asked.If it had been in the past, she might have tolerated it. But these past two days, she'd been in a foul mood and naturally had no patience for this shameless scoundrel.Felix was stunned, looking at her in disbelief. "How... how can you talk to me like that? After all, I'm technically your uncle."Angela didn't even lift her head as she replied impatiently, "Go ask Dexter or Madam Fiona how I dealt with my own biological father. As for you, you're just an uncle. Do you really think I'd care?"She paused for a moment, then slowly raised her head and said in a leisurely tone, "To be honest, I've had enough of you for a long time. If you're willing to keep your head down and behave yourself, I won't go out of my way to make things difficult for you. "But if you insist on being ignorant and desperate for attention, then don't blame me
Angela was annoyed to see Dexter again. "What are you doing here?" She didn't even want to look at him, let alone deal with him. All she wanted was to get away from him, as far away as possible."Dexter, what brings you here? Looking for something? Would you like to buy a couple of necklaces? I've got some really nice bracelets too." Zack seized the chance to make a sale.Dexter turned to Angela. "Let's head back and eat—""You can go back by yourself. It's still early. I have things to do." Angela cut him off sharply, her voice laced with impatience.She refused to be controlled like this all the time. She wasn't someone who needed to be told what to do."Angela, who's this?" Daniel asked casually. His voice was clear, and his smile was warm and charming.Angela was just about to reply when Dexter asked, "Who's this?""What does it have to do with you? It's none of your business." Angela snapped, finally reaching her limit. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, she clear
How horrifying!"Sorry, please wait a moment." Angela forced herself to stay calm, got up, and walked out of the conference hall.Clara followed her out, concern written all over her face. "Ms. Graham, are you feeling unwell? Do you need to see a doctor?"Angela avoided looking at Clara's face as she whispered angrily, "That's enough, Dexter!" Clara looked surprised, confused even. "What's wrong, Ms. Graham?"This meeting couldn't go on, and work was unbearable. It was unacceptable.Angela took a deep breath, returned to the conference hall, and stuck to her prepared proposal to finish hosting the meeting. Then, she rushed back to her office.However, the moment she opened the door, Dexter turned around from where he'd been sitting at her desk. With a warm smile, he said, "You're finally done. Time for lunch."Angela suddenly felt like she was living in some surreal fantasy world. Hadn't she just left Clara behind? How was she suddenly…No, wait. This was the real Dexter with
Mia, who was next to Angela, replied, "You've got it all wrong. All of this was made by Mr. Bamford. Try some. It's really good."Dexter flashed Mia a friendly smile. She found it so odd that she froze for a moment.After all, she'd always thought that this cold-faced CEO didn't even have a "friendly smile" in his facial expression system.Mia keenly sensed that something was up between Angela and Dexter, both of whom seemed awkward."Really?" Angela was slightly taken aback. She glanced at Dexter, who was sitting at the dining table, waiting for them to dig in."Try some. I learned how to make these from Darlene," he said casually. "It was a piece of cake."Outside the kitchen, the plump and kind-hearted maid, Darlene Hines, wiped away a tear of exhaustion.She'd been woken up by Dexter before four or five in the morning, forced to give him an emergency cooking lesson while yawning the whole time.For several hours, she couldn't rest at all. She was so tired she almost passed
Dexter was so excited he couldn't sleep all night. He finally gave up trying and decided to wake Fiona up just so he could share his earth-shattering news.Fiona had barely slept for an hour after burning the midnight oil for work.When the knock on her door jolted her awake, her first instinct was to hurl a pillow at the culprit, but then she thought that maybe Angela needed help with something.She quickly got up and opened the door, only to find Dexter standing there with an oddly excited expression as if he wanted to say something but was holding back."What?" Fiona's voice came out hoarse. She'd pushed her voice too hard after days of lectures. Angela had even given her some medicine for it, but she hadn't gotten around to taking it.Dexter walked in without hesitation and announced, "I have a girlfriend now."Clearing his throat, he put on a composed front, concealing his excitement behind an air of nonchalance. He barely pulled it off.Fiona frowned in surprise. Girlfrien
Zayn chuckled. "You might as well try. Desperate times call for desperate measures. No matter how formidable Angela is, she's still a woman. Wasn't she once head over heels for you? It's just that afterward…"…That night, the grand villa was eerily quiet.Dexter paced back and forth outside Angela's room for a long time. He wanted to knock, or maybe just push the door open and go in, but he hesitated every time.With a crack, the door suddenly swung open from the inside.Angela, drowsy with sleep, covered her mouth as she yawned, holding an empty glass in her other hand. She looked like she was heading out to get some water.Their eyes met, and she jolted in surprise. The glass slipped from her hand, about to hit theground, when Dexter swiftly reached out and caught it smoothly."What the heck are you doing here?" In a flash, Angela was wide awake, her expression a blend of wariness and bewilderment.Dexter instinctively avoided her gaze. Without another word, he turned and wa